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While baseball in the US might not be as popular as football or basketball, you can’t deny the popularity of the sport in Japan. Baseball is a big deal here, as evidenced by the packed stadiums when the pros play and the crowds, who can really get into it. But just like you think college sports have more of that feel good spirit about them, so does high school baseball here in Japan. Read the rest of this entry »
photos courtesy of Sankei/MSN
One of the things people automatically associate with Japan is the fascinating practice of costume play, or cosplay for short. Read the rest of this entry »
What do you get when you put these three super babes together? 2000 fans crammed into the Tokyo location to get a glimpse of these ladies. Those three girls are probably the most well known of the bunch, but what all these beauties share in common is they all got their start as models for Read the rest of this entry »
If there’s one thing about Japan that people know and love, it’s arcade games. To put it simply, Japanese arcade games are in my opinion, top rate. Street Fighter, Tekken, DDR, all the games you know and love have come from the land of the rising sun. If you haven’t been to Japan yet, once you step into the arcade there, you enter an electronic wonderland that will dazzle you with bright lights and suck your soul out. Read the rest of this entry »
One of the reasons I suspect car shows are so popular is because they mix several aspects of the car culture together in one big flashy package. In an industry that arguably possesses more of a ‘macho’ image, it brings together gears, engines, and girls. What else does a guy really need? Here we bring you a few photos of these beauties. Read the rest of this entry »
In Chiba, Japan, The Tokyo Motor Show is now officially underway. It’s one of the largest auto events in the industry. With Japanese automobiles have become enormously popular over the years due to their high quality and knack for anticipating future needs of consumers. In addition, their design has been solid and reliable. Read the rest of this entry »
Everyone’s heard of Knut by now. You know, the wunderkind polar bear who’s captured the hearts and imaginations of the people across the world. And let’s admit it, he’s a great poster bear for the cause of nature preservation and hopefully reminds us all insatiable consuming humans that this planet is being slowly exploited to death.
In Fukuyama prefecture, the big event this week is the “Fukuyama Rose Festival 2007″ which is a huge event for the city as it prepares for a celebration of the timeless flower and the beautiful spring conditions in which it thrives. Read the rest of this entry »
Rejoice J-pop fans, Japanese singing sensation Ai Otsuka will be launching into her 18 city nation-wide tour later this month. As shown here, she plans to put on a thrilling performance featuring cutting edge effects in sound and visual productions. Read the rest of this entry »
The season opener for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks started today with a bang as pop star Aya Ueto was on hand to toss the opening pitch. The atmosphere was electric with roaring fans as Ueto stepped out looking cute as could be in her pitcher’s outfit. Read the rest of this entry »
The popular actress put on a dancing clinic today for eager spectators in downtown Tokyo’s Bunkamura establishment. Appearing in a skimpy outfit and moving to the music, she really got the place heating up. Just look at her shake her thing in those high heels. They could be doing the macarena in that outfit and make that look good.
Today on the 7th, it the women’s coming of age ceremony was held in 19 municipalities inside Aomori prefecture. It was a rather terrible day to come of age with respect to the weather however, with wind and rain raging in brief flashes of typhoon tantrums.
What’s Christmas without Christmas lights? The central district of Shuunan city is filled with them and for city residents and visitors from afar, it’s a wonderful place to be. About 120,000 people were here last night to enjoy the splendid holiday illuminations.
The holiday spirit is everywhere these days, and you’ll see a Santa on just about every corner of every street. But imagine finding one in a fish tank. That’s just what happended at Oga city’s GAO aquarium today as a masked diver dressed in a Santa outfit swam among the fishes, to the delight of hundreds of visitors Read the rest of this entry »
He can talk the talk, but can he walk the walk? If you listen to WBA light flyweight champion Koki Kameda, you just might believe him. In and out of the ring, Kameda gets your attention. He brings an action packed southpaw style that gives people non-stop forward fighting, and so far he’s managed to look good doing it.
In Daisen city today, along the municipal roads paralled by the muddy water of sewer drainages, firefighters rescued a malnourished swan that was unable to free itself from the confines of the drain. Unable to spread its wings and fly, the swan had been stuck there for a period of time, and it wasn’t until a concerned passerby Shigeharu Takahashi noticed the swan and alerted the local authorities.
The holiday season is in full spirit and everywhere you go, it’s full of fake Santas and that undeniable holiday cheer. What a great season Christmas is, and you can’t help but let some of that happiness rub off on you, even if you’re the most cynical bastard out there.
Super movie star and model Fujiwara Norika along with her fiance Tomonori Jinnai were besieged by a pack of ravenous paparazzi as they attempted to leave the Ikuta shrine in Kobe city, after the pair performed their betrothal ceremony. Oh why can’t they just leave people alone? Because then we wouldn’t be entertained would we?
Photo courtesy of ZAKZAK
NANA 2 is almost here, and it looks like it’s going to be just as heart-warming and captivating as the first one, which became a huge hit in Japan. Based on a manga series of the same name, it’s the story of two girls both named Nana and their friendship as they journey through life’s obstacles.
Today in Hirosaki city the grand opening of a Super Max supermarket was eagerly met by hundreds of eager shoppers wanting to browse the 63,700 square meter facility that offers restaurants, fashion stores, and a book store. Ever been in an Japanese mall before? It’s quite an experience that words can’t really describe. Most Asian malls are similar in design, sporting different levels with different focuses.
Weather’s definitely getting colder around here and the snow is definitely piling on. I’m not against a white Christmas, but if we’re going to have Christmas in our homes instead of igloos, then something’s got to give.
Back to Yuzawa city in Akita prefecture, which we previously mentioned was undergoing their first snowfall of the winter season. Everything looked pleasant enough Read the rest of this entry »
Easy to make, lasts long, tastes great, cheap, and a permanent food group for college students. Oh and it comes in every possible flavor you could want. Cup Noodle, instantly recognizable in it’s distinctive red and white script, has become the favorite snack of thousands of children and adults across the world and it’s today is also it’s 35th anniversary.
To underscore the huge influx of Korean media and its continuing popularity, the Korea Style Expo in Asia 2006 was held today with approximately 2500 people in attendance. Hosted by Korean drama pretty boy actor Yong Joon, it’s a pretty big event that every fan of Korean entertainment should check out. Korean entertainment has exploded onto the Asian entertainment scene fairly recently and shows no sign of stopping.
Need a new cell phone? Want a slick one that will make you popular and cool among all your technologically inferior friends? Then you might want to check out the Softbank 811T. For starters, it looks pretty badass and as far as phones go, it probably kicks the crap out of what you can get in other markets such as North America. The Far East always seems to be ahead as far as design, and it’s pure shame that models like these never make it out of Japan.
That’s gay as in happy people. Is this the end of an era or perhaps the beginning of one? Japanese entertainer Razor Ramon, known more ubiquitously as “HG” for “Hard Gay” has finally tied the knot with actress Suzuki Anna as previously mentioned on DailyNihon. And no, for the wedding ceremony, HG did not don his usual homo-erotic attire of leather, studs, and high shorts but showed up in a decent white tuxedo and Suzuki certainly looked the part of beautiful bride in her white dress.
Tokyo tower is one of the iconoclastic features of the sprawling metropolis that is Tokyo. Tokyo is easily considered one of the top cities of the world, offering anything and everything and doing it with style; it’s a major destination for big entertainment events as well as home to huge multi-national corporations bent on having a presence in the capital of Asia. And now it’s going to get even better.
Sanspo.com
Former founding member of the Japanese pop trio “Do As Infinity” Tomiko Van (or Ban as some spell it) was in downtown Tokyo today at the Tokyo West Ikebukuro art theater for the announcement of the upcoming musical “Brooklyn” which will be Tomiko’s first foray into the live musical performing arts scene. It’s the first Japanese version of the popular musical, which has been performed across America more than 300 times.
In Noshiro city today, public health officials investigated an illegal industrial dump site that was found to contain numerous barrels of harmful toxic substances. So far about 136 of these drums have been found so far, containing waste oil among other environmentally unfriendly products. A special task force has been established to fully investigate the matter and clean this mess up. It’s really quite sad that these kind of things still go on today.
Photos courtesy of Sanspo.com: Ever wanted to know who was the most beautiful girl in Japan? Well it’s been decided, at least of this year. The winner is 17 year old Hayashi Tantan, who was chosen as the new 2006 “National Beautiful Girl” contest winner. In looking at the other contestants, if I was a judge, I would have voted the same. Winning a contest like this doesn’t come without it’s perks naturally.
In a big day for nail lovers, today was the last day of the Japan Nailist Association’s Japan Nail Expo 2006, during which the awards ceremony honored actress Fukada Kyoko, TV personality Becky, singer Kumi Koda, Wada Akiko. Just when I thought there couldn’t be anymore awards show possible.. Read the rest of this entry »
When you go to a sushi place and order something with the word “jumbo” in it, it usually ends up being something a little bigger than “small.” But someplaces really know when you say jumbo, you mean freakin’ huge. In Niiyama city today, approximately 100 elementary and junior high school students participated in the creation of a hand made sushi roll that stretched 12 meters in length. You could literally start at one end and eat your way to the other, and maybe then you’ll be full. The event was actually planned by the kids to raise awareness of the importance of kids eating good food. I’ve got a good idea for the next event: eating in moderation!
In Hirosaki city today, “The Tsugaru Samisen 2006″ event kicked off with 300 musicians wearing matching colors gathering to put on a splendid performance. With richly colored Tsuguru kites hanging in the background, it was a packed house for this musical display of the traditional Japanese string instrument. The samisen is similar to guitar, but with a much slimmer neck and only three strings. Playing takes place with the use of a bachi which can also be used to strike the drum-like body, creating a percussive sound.
In Tokyo today, actress Aibu Saki commenced the Japan Tennis Association (JTA) Nikke All Japan Tennis Championships with a exhibition match against top woman’s seed Nakamura Aiko. Nakamura has been playing in some big tournaments around the world, and has had some encounters with top name players such as former world number one Justine Henin-Hardenne.
Students of Akita commercial high school in Akita kicked off the annual business practice event “AKISHOP” today on November 11th. It’s a awesome event where all the kids get to learn about what it takes to run a business and customer relations. At the same time, everyone has fun by making it a big event with real “stuff” being sold to real people.
Playstation 3, the next generation gaming console promising ultra-realistic graphics and superior technology for the ultimate high-definition gaming experience has launched in Japan today. Japan makes some of the world’s greatest games and the Japanese take their gaming seriously. Thus despite the decidedly high price tag,
Check out these pics from the latest HUSTLE event. Are they a trip or what? It makes American pro-wrestling look as boring and normal as mowing the lawn. In case your wondering, HUSTLE is a Japanese pro-wrestling event that is pure sports entertainment, pitting the HUSTLE Army against the MONSTER Army. Don’t ask me, I told you this was weird. It doesn’t really matter if your not much of an athlete, here what matters is the drama going on between the wrestlers and the freaky costumes that put drag queens to shame. But it sure makes these events more appealing than a bunch of sweaty dudes in spandex jumping on top of each other.
Japan is one of the leading fashion capitals of the world, widely recognized for the cutting edge style and creative trends that emerge from here. Students from 3 different fashion schools recently got a chance to show off their artistic flair at the Isetan company’s 120th anniversary fashion show. One of the three schools, ESMODJAPON is one of the top design institutions in the country and featured designs in the vein of the 80’s disco theme. Overall, it was a success and industry insiders came impressed with the quality of the designs. Personally, I don’t know if I’m looking at leftovers from Halloween or maybe I just don’t have any fashion sense. Which explains why people think I got my clothes out of a gumball machine.
If we’re going to have a contest for the best leather outfit, then why not have one for formal wear? Things are heating up here in downtown Tokyo as the best formal wear contest is underway. Japanese actress Yonekura Ryoko along with her Italian dude counterpart have advanced to the competition semifinals today held in downtown Tokyo at the historic Japanese Garden Restaurant, Chinzan-so. The award is given to the celebrity pair that best complements each other in formal wear attire. Yonekura impressed judges with her specially tailored open-back dress and probably had them seeing stars from the glare of about 10,000,000 Yen worth of jewels shimmering on her. Even the subject of kabuki actor ex-boyfriend Ichikawa Ebizou’s recent sighting with Sato Eriko didn’t faze her as Yonekura insisted she was was doing just fine without him.
The Hiroshima prefecture cultural festival commenced today with the participation of 135 different high schools. Anytime you can get teenagers from 135 different high schools together and teamwork, you know it must have taken some serious effort. Opening with a grand parade down main street, the high school seniors showed their enthusiasm and energy for the occassion as they displayed awesome baton skills and movement. The festival is a huge event featuring exhibitions in 14 different categories, including photography, calligraphy, and folk entertainment. Approximately 8600 people were in attendance to enjoy this once a year tradition now in its’ 30th year.
Fall always seems so short, too soon does the air become bitter and biting and the trees bare. Every year around October, the Asahiyama zoo in Asahikawa city, Hokkaido, closes down briefly to help prepare their wildlife guests for the winter season. Those critters susceptible to frigid temperatures are relocated indoors while others such as marching penguins thrive in the new environment. During wintertime, the number of visitors to the zoo surge, making this destination more popular than Tokyo’s Ueno zoo as people arrive to check out the winter wildlife. In particular, the penguins are real crowd-pleasers when they start walking around and about in mid December.
People want to look stylish, and for many of the world’s top luxury brands, Japan is one of their biggest markets. Fashion powerhouse Gucci officially opened up their brand new Gucci department store in Ginza today with a splash, as models including Tominaga Ai arrived for the 11 o’clock opening. With 8 floors of Gucci goodness for eager shoppers, almost 120 people queued up to get a crack at the latest goods. As an example of Japan’s demand for high-end goods, 20% of Gucci’s sales come from here and “Gucci Ginza” will be Gucci’s 54th store in the entire country.
It got a little steamy in Tokyo today as all the 2005 and 2006 girls for Miss Magazine got together for the recruiting event of the year. Miss Magazine is a popular gravure idol magazine in Japan that was recently revived by Kodansha publishing, which also happens to be behind many of the infamous widely read “weeklies.” And obviously, you won’t be buying this magazine for the articles. After flipping through the pages of each revealing issue, readers of Miss Magazine decide just who the hottest of them all. Aren’t you glad we told you?
Remember playing Duck Hunt for the original Nintendo (Famicon in Japan)? Well now duck hunters in Japan can put that training to use as duck hunting season officially opened up today. For the squad pictured above, the hunt begins at about 5 in the morning near Iwamigawa river bank in Akita city. Hunkered down in the morning dew, locked and loaded, there is was a suspenseful wait in the weeds for just the right moment when the ducks rise to flight. Then the roar of gunfire shatters the fragile morning peace. According to one faithful fowl hunter, the history of the sport in this city goes as far back as 37 years. “Due to increased numbers of the ducks from last year”, after the ban was lifted, “[we] wanted to get together again and preserve the tradition.”
After a fantastic voyage into the newest offerings from Asian cinema and entertainment, the 2006 Tokyo Film Festival is drawing to a close. The closing was held at Orchard Hall at the Tokyo and Shibuya Bunkamura, the “first and largest multi-media, cross-cultural complex of it’s kind” in Japan. Actor Ishizaka Kouji along with actress Matsushima Nanako (who wore a stunning see through dress) presented the closing work, a remake of the critically acclaimed horror film “Inugami-ke no Ichizoku” (The Inugami Clan), directed by Ichikawa Kon. The subtitled version was just completed on the 28th, and about 2000 people packed the reception area to catch a glimpse of the star-studded cast. Regarded as one of the best Japanese horror films, “Inugami” will definitely bring loads of breathless suspense without the needless blood and gore plaguing so many horror films today when it hits theaters this December, so don’t miss it!
The opening of the Umeda establishment of the newest Daimaru store in Osaka City was off the chain as a special “Robot Festival” took place, featuring a number of robots performing different feats of mechanical mayhem. The main event featured a fight to finish between two robot teams who have previous victories in world robot competitions. Heck, some of the minature mechs were even playing soccer and sumo (see above) against each other. Let there be no doubt, Japan’s robotics are some of the most advanced in the world, with some crazy scientists always making the gearheads act more and more like humans. Beware, we’ll all soon be the ones playing soccer while all the robots laugh at us.
Tiny goblins, witches, and ghosts covered the streets of Yato city as approximately 350 costumed elementary school students went on a “Halloween tour” of the shopping district. The event was the result of collaboration between the shopping center stores, which had troops of adorable kids going from shop to shop in order, reaping their sweet treats hand over fist. The “Halloween tour” is sponsored by the Sanpachi community for international exchange with cooperation from the Yato International Communications Association. Awesome job there guys for giving the kids a trick or treat experience they’ll never forget.
What do most people do for Halloween? Go trick or treating or partying in some club doing the same old thing except wearing some costume. How lame is that? Instead, how awesome would it be to wear the most outlandish, freaky costume you can come up with and then go parading 1.5km through Tokyo with 3000 other costumed ghouls? If that sounds like your kind of fun, then check out the Kawasaki Halloween Parade. The annual event has become a major scene among the Tokyo youth, drawing huge crowds to witness this eerie and disturbing Halloween fashion freak show. So mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most macabre of all? If you want to find out, then don’t miss the best costume contest, where the most phantastic disguise of all will be revealed!
The 2006 World Volleyball Championships are taking place in Japan this year and what better way to pump up team spirit than having Jpop duo WaT and all of the ladies from hello! Project behind you? The Jpop stars got close and personal with the men’s and women’s All-Japan team by even sharing lodging with them during training and as a result, everyone became good friends with each other. “Living together I learned a lot about being human,” WaT member Uentsu Eiji said. “[Team Japan] please try your best and aim for the top!”
Make no mistake, the Christmas season is just around the corner; you’ve probably already spotted the decorations popping up in all the stores and malls eager to entice you in and feed on your wallets with gnashing teeth. In Osaka today a 13 meter high Christmas tree with over 9000 red and green bulbs was lit up for the first time in front of Osaka Abeno Kinki Ninpon Tetsudou department stores. Visitors were dazzled by the radiance of the tree, which stands at 27 meters wide and is laced with approximately 60,000 strobes. That’s enough to have you seeing the holiday spirit for the rest of the year.
Check out this picture of Eriko Sato’s leather duds. I can’t say if wearing that much leather in those places would feel good or not. Apparently she was partly inspired by the cowhide clothing of the hip-thrusting, human homosexual parody, Razor Ramon HG (Hard Gay) in choosing her get-up. However, her tastes paid off as she was awarded the best leather get-up at the 6th leather clothing competition, namely for her boots, which “emphasizes her leg line beauty.” I have no idea why this competition even exists. What do all the ladies think of this leather outfit?
We now know just who of Japanese fame has the best hair, and the answer is Masami Nagasawa, who was the winner of the 2006 best hair prize. The prize is unsuprisingly sponsored by the Japanese beauty care industry and hygiene trade association. Given to the female celebrity who wears her style with charm and and brings out the personality of the “shape” of the hairstyle, the award undoutedly gives the winner some bragging rights with all the ladies. In an example of how prevalent technology is in Japanese daily life, viewers decided who they thought had the best hair styles by voting via mail or the Internet.
What is it about celebrity designed stuff that makes people want to buy it? TV star Niiyama Chiharu, who gave birth to a baby girl this July, apparently can do much more than act. Chiharu was in downtown Tokyo today to show off her vision of what a kid wants to play with. Designed before she gave birth, the stuffed animal (heard shaped headed pink rabbit?) you see in the picture is for girls, with separate toys for the boys. I can’t speak for all the little ones out there, but those stuffed animals actually look pretty darn cute.
In a commemoration event for the birth of the new Noshiro city, residents of staged a colorful fall festival as the enjoyed the pleasant fall weather. Noshiro city actually consists of two former cities who merged together to form Noshiro. More recently the town of Futatsui announced it would be joining Noshiro to form a larger city. Both halves traditionally have had their own festivals, but today united together as residents from both halves became one together as they both now call the same place “home.” Special exhibits of the town’s famous woodwork and crafts were shown to eager customers and over 54 food stands served up a variety of different tasty fall treats.
Every wanted to wear revealing clothes and do silly things in front of a camera? Well, for all the hopeful candidates out there in Japan, there is the popular TV show “Rudoia” which is an idol audition similar to “American Idol”, with the winner being selected by the viewers. Don’t ask me why, but for some reason, there’s a solar system/space theme to the show, where for each of the nine planets an idol is chosen, and in the end the “super galactic idol” of the Galaxy is determined. Fujisaki is the Mercury idol, which “planet” are we going to discover next?
At a press event today sponsored by MTV and Sony Ericsson, gravure queen Yuuko Ogura again refused to answer any personal questions the Japanese media inquired of her. Ogura has been dead silent on rumors that she’s dating some comedian guy but that was put to rest as the man in question, Hamaguchi Masaru, insisted that they were “friends”. Reporters who tried to dig a little deeper and take some shots at Ogura were answered with her silent stare. Honestly I don’t see what the big deal is here..but at least she didn’t cancel the whole damn conference like last time some wise guy brought it up.
Popular singer Fujiki Naohito gave the final performance of his nationwide tour today at the Nihonbudoukan, or Japanese martial arts training hall. 45,000 screaming Fujiki fans showed up with excitement since in his 7 years of performing, it was Fujiki’s first debut at the Nihonbudoukan. The only thing hotter than the sweltering heat was Fujiki’s new album, 「ＬＩＦＥ ＧＯＥＳ ＯＮ！」which features 21 jammin’ songs by the famous crooner.
Popular singer Nami Uehara will be releasing her new single titled “all right” in limited distribution from October 18th to October 25. This is the second time Uehara has decided to go with this limited release format, which she also did back in July for her single “for myself.” Besides coming out with new music, Uehara is also starring in a new movie titled 「Wanna be FREE！〜Tokyo Girl」The movie stars Uehara as a typical high school student who discovers fame and fortune through her cellphone blog, and the hard lessons that come with it. Uehara has a decent voice and her songs can be quite catchy, but a good singer does not a good actor make. Just ask Madonna.
For automobile lovers like me, every new car coming out of Japan is news. Japan produces some of the best autos in the world, but they’re probably not quite on the level of their European counterparts–yet. In the realm of supercars, the difference is even bigger. But maybe that’s all about to change. Mitsuoka Motors today unveiled the 3300cc “orochi” (which means “serpent”), their latest effort to produce a supercar worthy of their German and Italian rivals. The beast does look snake-like, with wide headlights, triangular nose, and hood vents but I’ll have to go with Ferrari’s styling on this one. We’ll have to see how well it handles, but those who want one need to act fast and have deep pockets, only 400 will be made each carrying a price tag of 10,500,000 Yen.
The northern waters of Aomorishi witnessed a remarkable feat as the finished large scale wooden replica of a early Japanese fishing boat set sail. Implemented under the guidance of the fishing boat museum foundation, the launch was delayed due to bad weather but today the weather proved to be ripe. The vessel was able to capture the wind in its sails and carry all 40 members at a speed of 10 km/hr. Quite an achievement if you ask me, the details and the effort that went into it must have been tremendous. Not only is it a testament to their dedication, but a monument to the accomplishments of their ancestors.
The 19th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) is approaching and tickets go on sale today. As one of the largest film festivals, TIFF will run from October 21 to October 29 in the fashionable Tokyo Roppongi area, with ticket prices varying depending on section and venue. It’s Japan’s only officially approved international film festival and has a major influence on the Japanese entertainment industry. The latest Asian cinema has to offer will be shown, as well as major works such as Clint Eastwood’s “Flags of Our Fathers,” which deals with the epic battle of Iwo Jima. So if you’re in the neighborhood, be sure to check it out as the red carpet, bright lights, cameras, and your favorite celebrities come out for this special event.
Canon, maker of world-reknown digital cameras, announced today that Yamada Yuu, Aoi Yuu, and Kaho are the three beauties that will be representing their new lineup of Pixus digital cameras. They’ve finished shooting a new commercial that was set in Hokkaido, presumably for it’s fresh natural surroundings. During the shoot for the commercial, the girls were able to experience Hokkaido life firsthand, such as drinking milk fresh from the cow and eating raw corn, which in Aoi’s words was “tasty…because it is the only thing you can eat, it was a valuable experience.”
San-Ai swimwear company is coming with a brand new line-up of sexy swimwear for the ladies, and 17 year old cover girl Yumi Sugimoto was in downtown Tokyo to show it off. Held in conjunction with the biggest Far-East traveling event, JATA World Travel Exposition 2006, Sugimoto and 6 other hotties displayed the new 2007 lineup of swimwear; and it’s looking pretty good. Fittingly, the swimsuit show was held in the Guam booth, which gives the ladies an exotic destination to slip into one of these straps. With this being her last show as the cover girl for San-Ai, Sugimoto recalled the good times and is looking forward to bigger and better things. She looks pretty cute, and it’s hard to believe she’s only 17. Will she go the way of other top models and venture into acting and singing? Who knows, but if she can sing and dance as good as she wears a bikini, we’re all set!
While the Tokyo Game Show 2006 rages on, Sony did the expected and lowered the price of their new super-console PlayStation 3 from the previous forecast of 62,790 Yen to 49,980 Yen. PlayStation 3 does look like it’s going to have the best graphics of all the new systems, but it’s more of the same to me. Playing a hundred different variations of the generic shooters and Grand Theft Auto wannabes just gets old after awhile. Much more interesting is the Nintendo Wii. Much respect to them for always coming up with new and innovative ways to take gaming to the next level.
Check out these pictures of Nagasawa in her pajamas. Nagasawa is now the new representative of Ajinomoto (their frozen gyudon is pretty tasty!) foods soup line. She’s in some famous company as well, since Koizumi Kyouko, and Hirosue Ryoko were previous reps. What’s the deal with these pajamas? If she really wanted to get our attention, she could have showed up in a bikini.
Movie star Rena Tanaka showed up (front row second from right) at a downtown hotel press event today to publicize her upcoming film 夕凪の街 桜の国 which deals with the lives of those who survived the aftermath of the Hiroshima nuke. Directed by Sasabe Kiyoshi, the film explores questions of life, love and what it means to exist in the wake of one of the most devastating events in human history. Although the movie isn’t out yet, it’s getting some buzz as a contender for next year’s Cannes International Film festival. Rena Tanaka is pretty cute and she’s got some solid acting credits too, I’m looking forward to see this one, much more than some of the crap Hollywood is shitting.
In downtown Tokyo today, actress Oda Akane announced her new leading role in the stage production of 「じゅわっと」a quirky play that is part of the Ultraman 40th year anniversary commemoration event. That shows you how much the Japanese love their robot superheroes. It’s way more love than the Ninja Turtles or Ghostbusters ever got. In a show of support, Ultraman and legions of space creatures showed up as well, over 50 of them. It’s awesome how the cartoon action heroes reach this level of pop culture icon in Japan. You don’t see too many Hollywood types every being involved in this kind of project.
Ladies when evil takes over this planet and it’s up to you to save it, this is exactly what you need: red armor and a miniskirt. Why? Because that’s what Miho Tamao is wearing and damnit saving the world just isn’t the same without the right outfit. Tamao was on the scene today in her red armor suit to call attention to the release of new additions to MU Online’s massively multi-player game. In fact, their website is congratulating the first ever level 400 Pulsar character. Level 400? That’s a whole lot of showerless sweaty nights in front of the computer. You got to wonder if any girls would get near the guys who play these games without wearing some armor.
Artnature hair care wants to help men with their hair problems, and it’s enlisting these two idols for their help. Starting in October a free service called “Hair Check 24″ will offer free tips on hair care, where callers will be able to get their questions answered by pre-recorded clips done in a “tender and affectionate” manner. Somehow I don’t think being told by a gravure idol what to do with your bald spot is going to make you feel any better.
That bastard Hard Gay really ruined it all. You’d wish you really was gay, saving us one of the more talented and popular female actresses out there right now. Anna Suzuki has been several feature films and it’s about to end. She’s coming out with one last sexy DVD of her before she decides to retire from the world of show business. And she’s only 22! Why Anna, why? Now we won’t have anything else to look at except for your husbands’ irritating homosexuality. At least her last DVD will feature her in sexy married life outfits, such as swimsuit, kitchen, and living room scenes, so those of us who don’t get to marry her can still pretend.
Japanese comedian and funny guy Ken Maeda is at it again, dressing up as a woman at a recent promotion for his new movie coming out. The movie sounds pretty lame, but I thought this picture of him with these girls was worth showing. Can you pick out Maeda from the lineup? If you can’t then you’re either drunk or you like manly girls. He should really stop doing this, because it’s becoming quite disturbing. In fact, I thought it was a female gorilla dressing up to impersonate HIM.
Come and visit the island of Saipan, a tiny little place near the tropical destination of Guam. And while it might be a tiny, beautiful place, fan-favorite bikini model Risa Doumitsu is not asking you to visit for the scenery, she’s got two big reasons you should check it out. How big? Try G-cup big. At 23 years of age and a fresh face on the scene, enjoy her B88 W58 H85 measurements as it basks in the soft summer sun of Saipan. You’ll feel like you’re right there with her. I’ll leave the rest up to your imaginations you pervs.
From humble beginnings as one of the 3rd generation Morning Musume girls (who hasn’t been one?) to a Jpop superstar, Maki Goto is now entering the Korean entertainment landscape too. With her cute looks and undeniable charm, Korean fans were wowed as they met her for the very first time in person in Seoul. 1200 fans showed up to greet Goto as she appeared in a stunning sexy mini-skirt dress. 160 media people representing 22 different outlets were on the scene as well. She’s worth the royal treatment though because she’s definitely looking pretty cute in that red dress there, and her music isn’t that bad either.
Today in Inagi City, Tokyo, rabid fans were treated to a commemorative event for the “Hello! Ultimate Weapon C-ute (cute)”, a group of girls averaging 12.7 years of age. The event is part of a wider promotion tour that kicked off in May, with stops at 12 different places across the country, and mobilizing at least 14,000 fans in the process. These girls are young as hell and they’re still developing: 14 year old Maimi Yajima, who spent the entire 4 months touring all 12 stops, commented that she was pleased with “how her figure grew.” In addition to their released DVD, the group is launching an album with 7 tunes on October 25. Where were these girls when I was 12.7?
The Twins are back in action, with live performances in China recently. However they understandably remain wary of any and all attempts by sneaky photographers to capture them in their private moments. In one case, they were performing in Beijing and due to cold weather, bought some big jackets and decided to use them as a sort of cover up guise in which they were able to change their costumes. At another performace in Gongguan, she reportedly wouldn’t leave her hotel room at all, right up until the last minute. Normally I’d say if you can get an embarrassing photo of some celebrity in public, why not? We could all use a good laugh. But setting up spy cameras? That’s just wrong.
Korean girl group Baby VOX has recently been dropping members like flies. It seems everytime the group comes out with a hit that gets them into the headlines, one of the girls decides its time to move on to her own gig and as a result they’re left with a missing link. But fear not, as thousands of hopefuls participated in a public audition to determine just who has what it takes to sing, dance, and shake it BabyVOX style. The plan is to find the new member by year end and release an album for Korea, Japan, and China simutaneously to maximize their rebirth in the midst of the Asian boom.
How would you like to have some flower wreath doohickey’s designed by the likes of model Rie Hasegawa and other famous celebrities? Ms. Hasegawa participated in a charity function along with other celebrities where a portion of the sales go to United Nations WorldWide Food Plan. The charity function featured Hasegawa and some other notable faces auctioning off their flower creations. Her particular entry consisted of “moon dust” flowers, and was titled “Peace.” I’m still a little unsure why they chose flowers as the main event, who wants to spend thousands of yen for something that won’t last very long anyways? If you really want to get people to pony up the bucks, auction something that we can keep for a long time…like underwear.
Only in Japan would famous celebrities be featured in a public awards ceremony for the quality of their legs. Why don’t they do that in other countries as well? The world would be a better place for it. Someone get me the Nobel for that. Putting aside world peace, the “beauty leg grand prix” was held today and Naomi Akimoto, Aya Sugimoto, and Aki Hoshino all walked away champs. Akimoto actually had injured her foot previously was surprised to hear that she was declared a winner, inspiring her to keep up the good work. Aya Sugimoto also came prepared, with a dress featuring a 20 centimeter slit that revealed some good skin. While both ladies are past their prime, they’re still looking pretty good.
No, contrary to your imagination, that is not one of the three magical numbers that desribe the female anatomy. But in the lucrative world of sponsorships, Ms. Nao Matsushita was present at a media event yesterday unveiling her as the new representative of the new Sony Ericsson W43S phone. You know what, I’d probably be more likely to get this phone than one of those T-mobile jobs that Catherine Zeta Jones depends on for a paycheck these days. What about her makes you want to get a T-mobile phone? I mean she went for Mike Douglas who was old enough to be her daddy (well he is in a way.) And if that isn’t enough, Japanese electronics seem to be a leap ahead of the rest of the world. So, new, hip, Matsushita, or old, fat, Douglas girl?
Big news for you car buffs. The residents of Tokyo were treated to the audition of over 900 girls for the right to be the 2006 F1 grid girl. The winner of the competition was Ms. Nano Sasara (the one with the crown), whose large eyes were deemed “impressive.” Sasara also commented that although there was much about F1 she doesn’t understand, she would study hard. It might be a stretch for her, but F1 isn’t that complicated. Anyone into F1? Yeah, sure the first few laps might be exciting but after that what are you supposed to do the rest of the time? I could take out my toys from the closet and set up one of those magnetic tracks where you squeeze the handle and the cars still go pretty fast.